Animal Rights Activists Again Target School Kids

By Charles Mahaleris
Talon News
May 20, 2004

Students at Capitol Middle School in Baton Rouge could soon be trading some new "stomach-turning" cards while waiting for the bus thanks to an outreach effort by one of America's leading animal rights organizations.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will be handing out "Chicken Chumps" trading cards to students as they leave school on Thursday after the school refused to allow the group to give its "Hidden Lives of Chickens" presentation during school hours.

PETA's Vegan Campaign Coordinator Matt Rice will hand the cards out to kids at 2:10 p.m. as they leave school. He will be joined by two activists. One will be in a chicken costume holding a sign saying "I'm No Nugget," and another will be wearing a television that will show chickens being slaughtered to make the nuggets the children love to eat.

"Kids would chuck their buckets of chicken into the nearest trash can if they knew how birds suffer in the meat industry," Rice said on Wednesday.

The cards have images illustrating what Rice describes as animal cruelty.

PETA has for years attempted to influence children through such measures. According to the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), a group that monitors PETA's activities, children have been targeted through a number of efforts.

In 2002, activists distributed similar trading cards showing sickly children suffering ailments PETA claimed were brought on by milk. They also have organized rallies outside elementary schools after being denied permission to distribute vegan propaganda to students.

Last year, PETA produced a controversial comic book-style flier entitled "Your Mommy Kills Animals." The gruesome cover depicted an apron-clad mother brutally stabbing a bunny rabbit. The comics were given out last Christmas outside theatres where the "Nutcracker" was being performed.

CCF has started a petition urging the federal government to revoke PETA's non-profit status.

The petition (web site), which has garnered more than 35,000 signatures since January, states, "In 2002 PETA collected over $17 million from Americans, avoiding over $3 million in federal income taxes. Because this tax break amounts to a huge subsidy, every American taxpayer is footing the bill for PETA's behavior."

PETA has a 501(c)(3) federal tax exemption.

CCF Executive Director Richard Berman wrote a letter which Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch read as part of official testimony presented at Tuesday's committee hearing titled "Animal Rights: Activism vs. Criminality."

In the letter, Berman said of PETA, "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has donated over $150,000 to criminal activists -- including the terrorist Earth Liberation Front (ELF), and individuals jailed for arson, burglary, and attempted murder. When asked by eight different media outlets to explain the purpose of a $1,500 gift to the ELF, PETA officers and spokespersons gave eight different and contradictory answers."

He continued, "Since 2000, rank-and-file PETA activists have been arrested over 80 times for crimes committed during PETA protests. Charges included felony obstruction of government property, criminal mischief, assaulting a cabinet official, felony vandalism, performing obscene acts in public, destruction of federal property, and burglary."

Last week, PETA vegetarian campaign director Bruce Friedrich was convicted of criminal trespass in Kentucky. Friedrich has previously publicly advocated "blowing stuff up and smashing windows" in order to win "animal liberation."

Berman's letter also alleged that PETA had a convicted felon and Animal Liberation Front terrorist on its payroll whose job was to speak to school students about the need for direct action to protect animals.

Of the illegal activities carried out by animal rights extremists, Sen. Hatch said, "Those who target and attack peaceful organizations and individuals do not legitimately advance their cause, and promise no breakthroughs to society. Instead, they only promote a grave threat to the well being and advancement of mankind."

Sen. Patrick Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, was not present for the hearing but said in a statement, "I think most Americans would be surprised that we are devoting a hearing today to this issue. I think that most Americans would rather that we address more urgent concerns that really do pose a threat to this country and to the world."